Who should decide whether a child gets access to life-saving care? Or if the child’s family should receive a crippling financial blow – one that might permanently and negatively alter the course of their lives? In traditional cultures throughout the world, folks share similar values about this: Some things should not be determined by the … Continue reading
What happens when adults lie to children? Kids tend to become more dishonest, and they might be at higher risk for aggressive and antisocial behavior problems.
Telling kids they are smart might seem like encouragement, but it can backfire. Learn about person praise, process praise, and intelligence.
Permissive parenting might seem like the “no discipline” approach. A threat to civilization? Probably not, but outcomes depends on we define this parenting style.
If authoritarian parents are demanding, shouldn’t their children be better-behaved and more successful in the classroom? On the contrary, research links authoritarian parenting with kids who are less resourceful, less confident, and less socially-adept. Kids may also be at higher risk for behavior problems.
Researchers use the Strange Situation procedure to measure attachment in young children. How does it work, and how can we raise secure kids?
What you believe about cognitive performance — the theory of intelligence that you adopt — can have brain-altering effects, and enhance your ability to learn. Yet programs designed to instill the right, “growth mindset” in students haven’t always worked. Why not?
Emotion coaching is the practice of tuning into children’s feelings, and helping kids learn to cope with negative emotions like fear, anger, and sadness.
Some people might spank children because they believe it will teach self-control. But the evidence tells us otherwise. In fact, research indicates that spanking actually interferes with the development of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility — skills permit kids to resist impulses and respond appropriately to rules.
The Parenting Science guide to nighttime fears in children. How to help your child overcome fears. Evolutionary and neurological insights.
Is your parenting style authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or uninvolved? Learn how researchers classify parents, and how parenting affects kids.
The authoritarian parenting style sets high standards for children to follow. But how does it differ from other approaches to child-rearing? How can you tell if your own style is authoritarian or authoritative? And, given that authoritarian caregiving isn’t linked with the best child outcomes, why do some parents keep practicing it?